Even if liquor had as much to do with it as love, all children want to feel that they are the result of a romantic union rather than sleazy circumstance. All the peoples of the world prefer the romantic version of their national birth, as well. And yet, with the intensification of the war on Israel’s legitimacy, comes a related salvo: Israel, alone among the nations, is to be denied the romantic version of its birth; Israel, these critics say, was born in sin — an alien people engaging in terror — and in sin remains.

Limmud Moscow drew more than 550 young Jews from the Russian capital and other cities earlier this month for three days of intensive Jewish learning, discussing and socializing. One conference theme was Jewish Nobel Prize winners from Russia and Israel, and among those represented were Yitzchak Rabin (by his daughter, Dalia), Shimon Peres (by his daughter, Tsvia Walden) and Menachem Begin (by Herzl Makov, director of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center). Limmud FSU was founded four years ago by Chaim Chesler of Israel, Michael Chlenov of Russia and Sandy Cahn of New York.